Inner Colleges
The Inner Colleges are a pair of locations in ''Sorcery 4''. It is a set of towers on either side of inner Mampang where magic runs free and dangerous. History The College is a mysterious place, full of some of the most potent magic in the Old World, unrestrained. It has been abandoned for hundreds of years after being used by the sorcerers of Mampang when they still inhabited the Fortress of Sorcerers and is considered dangerous, but holds some of the best-kept magical secrets in Mampang. Nearly all can easily kill a visitor or make their escape near or completely impossible. Magic from the eastern College has spilled out into the alleyways, distorting time and place. Geography The Inner College is composed of groups of 38 towers in West and East Mampang, each connected by narrow bridges over infinitely deep waters. The Towers The Inner College is ancient and dangerous. The many towers are all enchanted in some form and all correspond to a single spell, requiring specific knowledge, safe habits, or luck to survive. Some are inaccessible at first, requiring a specific spell to be cast to unseal them. Notable towers include: * The Tower of the Sleepless Ram * The Invisible Tower * The Tower of Wealth * The Tower of Despair Biography Accessing the College The Analander may have accessed the Colleges in several ways: * From the south: by the doors on the far end of the inner Mampang proper. * From the north: if the Analander was cursed with ZEd and attempted to open the Doors of Throben without casting the proper Counterspells, they were be transported to the northern end of one of the college halves. * The east College can also be accessed from the north via Prison or the Citadel. Adventuring Some Clues obtained along the journey may be of use, while some secret Spells will have nothing to suggest themselves to you as the key to a tower. The Towers hold the power needed to counter the Crown of Kings as well as the Throben Doors without nullifying your own magic as well, as happens when Minimites are present. The Towers The Hourglass Tower A tower corresponding to the spell "Zed". It contains an hourglass that, if the Analander is under the curse of Throben, can be smashed to rid themself of the curse. However, if the Analander dies after destroying the hourglass, they must cast Zed again and have squandered their chance to be free of the curse. Tower of the Future A tower corresponding to the spell "FAR". It is quite harmless and houses a large crystal ball. Touching it allows the Analander to see their various scenes from their potential future further and in more detail than they can manage alone... * The Archmage forces the Analander to submit to the Crown of Kings in his study. He tells them he will destroy Analand and the Old World, and they will help him. They lack the strength to do anything but agree and are thrown into the Archmage's cell. This fortune foreshadows a failed attempt to face off against the Archmage in his study. * The Analander sits in a pleasant field, with the sounds of children sparring with staffs. They realise they are in old age, and an unidentified person rubs their shoulders from behind. The person asks the Analander why they told them many years ago there was a "price" to being with them, despite that they succeeded in their quest. The Analander tries to explain to them that they can never die, but agrees that they may meet the man who cursed them again soon. This shows that even if the Analander defeated the Archmage, they still bear the burden of the ZED curse. Notably, the other person in the fortune is not identified, but shares mannerisms with Flanker. * The Analander tries to open a wide set of doors in Mampang, but cannot manage it no matter how hard they try. This vision may show the Analander struggling with the Throben Doors. * The Analander is old once again, and stands in a desolated Analand with Birdmen circling above. This is presumably another scenario in which the Analander fails to stop the Archmage's army. * The Analander holds a small child in their arms who begs them to tell "the story" again. This vision is short, but perhaps shows a happy scenario for the Analander. After five fortunes, the crystal ball cracks and no longer works.